Mychael Knight discussing the similarities between contemporary fashion and that of the 19th century at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill., in 2007.CreditShannon Kirshner/The State Journal-Register, via Associated Press

His death was announced by Jerris Madison, a friend and the editor of Obvious, a fashion publication. He did not specify the cause, but Mr. Knight had written on social media about his struggle with irritable bowel syndrome.

Mr. Knight, in 2006, appeared on Season 3 of “Project Runway,” which was on the Bravo cable channel at the time, and finished fourth. He returned for “Project Runway All Stars” on Lifetime in 2013, finishing eighth.

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Mychael Knight at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in 2005.CreditBrian Bohannon/Associated Press.

Mr. Knight spent his childhood in Montgomery, Ala., before attending Washingtonville Senior High School in New York’s Orange County. He then attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro and graduated in 2001 with a degree in apparel design and merchandising.

He interned in Atlanta before becoming a stylist in the music industry in 2002.

On “Project Runway” in 2006, Mr. Knight won that season’s award as fan favorite. The next year he introduced his eponymous label on the BET show “Rip the Runway” and designed a line of custom T-shirts for Starbucks.

In 2008 he introduced Kitty & Dick, a lingerie label for men and women, and MajK, a fragrance.

Mr. Knight is survived by his parents, Michael Sr. and Pamela Knight, and two sisters.

Mr. Madison said that Mr. Knight’s appearance on “Project Runway” caught the eye of celebrities like Toni Braxton, Sheri Shepherd and Eva Marcille, who became his clients.

Mr. Knight, he said, “was just getting to that point where people were saying, ‘Hey, I remember this guy.’ ”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B13 of the New York edition with the headline: Mychael Knight, 39, Fashion Designer and ‘Project Runway’ Finalist. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe